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Measuring Police Performance: International Experience, Summary

NCJ Number
224659
Author(s)
Isabelle Lelandais; Julie Bodson
Date Published
October 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) review focuses on methods implemented in nine cities, provinces, or countries to measure the activities and the effectiveness of the police.
Abstract
Police services are expected to justify, demonstrate, and assess their activities, as well as the impact of their activities on crime reduction and crime prevention. While there is an emphasis placed on measuring overall police performance and specifically in regard to crime reduction and prevention, a highly complex activity, there is also an expectation of high performance, or even policing excellence. To achieve this various methods, procedures, and indicators have been developed according to the unique nature of policing services in different jurisdictions, at various levels, and in different countries. This review focuses on how best to measure the policing activities in order to meet the diverse expectations of citizens, leaders, and the police themselves. For each police department examined, a table is provided that summarizes the main characteristics of the police organization in the country.